Over the summer my husband and I went on a fantastic vineyard tour.
Not in the Loire Valley or the Champagne region, but in Essex. In the east of England!
It turns out that the clay soil and the warm microclimate there are perfect for making sparkling wines.
We found ourselves at the end of the tour, sipping away in a Bake-Off style marquee, nibbling on a charcuterie board and gazing out over the rows of sunny vines.
It was idyllic.
We joked we could be sold just about anything in that moment – a crate of wine, the crackers, hell even the plastic tablecloth. Credit cards at the ready, we were in!
And yet…nothing. Tumbleweed. Crickets.
Apart from a small price list on the table for single bottles, there was no other information on how to buy.
No-one tried to sell us a single thing.
When we eventually flagged someone down to ask where we could buy the wines, we were pointed in the direction of a separate building.
The magic (and possibly the alcohol) was wearing off, fast.
We did eventually buy one bottle, but the vineyard had wasted a massive opportunity to sell us so much more.
All, I suspect, because of this common myth: people hate being sold to.
It’s a load of rubbish.
We hate being sold things we don’t want or need.
But we LOVE being sold things that improve our lives or help us avoid pain.
We adore the sales assistant who helps us find that flattering pair of jeans we wear every day for the next year.
We worship the hardware store guy who sells us the gadget to grab a precious Lego minifigure
from behind the radiator. (I speak from experience.)
Whether you’re writing to clients or internal stakeholders, fear of being pushy or, god forbid, ‘salesy’ might stop you from asking for what you want.
It might also mean you miss out on sitting duck opportunities.
If you’ve articulated the value of what you’re offering – whether it’s a product, service or a meeting – for goodness sake make the next step clear and easy.
Show your reader how to easily book a meeting with you.
Tell them how to get more information with just a click.
Ask them to make a quick email introduction to a specific person.
And do it quickly – before the magic (hopefully not alcohol) wears off.
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